INSIDE LAKE DISTRICT LODGE HOLIDAYS
Welcome to our Lake District Lodge Holidays Client Newsletter THE RISE OF STAYCATIONS
DOG FRIENDLY BOOKING SURGE
SHORT BREAK POPULARITY
LAST MINUTE BOOKING
INSIDE LAKE DISTRICT LODGE HOLIDAYS
INSIDE LAKE DISTRICT LODGE HOLIDAYS
See Your Property In A National Promotion
HELLO! As the year starts to draw to a close and we are already well under way with bookings for 2020, we wanted to say a big thank you for another successful year with Lake District Lodge Holidays. 2019 has been a busy year with almost 5,000 arrivals across our portfolio of Lake District Lodge Holidays properties and your property has played a very important part in that. Whilst the weather has not always been on our side, it hasn’t stopped guests travelling from near and far to enjoy a wonderful break in the heart of the great British countryside. In fact research shows that staycations are on the increase in 2019 and starting to reach new audiences all the time. You’re In Good Hands With Pure Cottages As you may well be aware Lake District Lodge Holidays is now part of the Pure Cottages Group where we join four other brands in coming together to deliver greater efficiencies, an international reach, and streamlined marketing - resulting in a bigger and better service for owners and customers alike. Of course we are still run independently by your friendly, local and dedicated team, all with one thing in common: the desire to give owners the bespoke support and service you won’t find anywhere else, and holidaymakers a break that they’re going to remember forever. It might sound like a tall order, but with our wealth of experience and in-depth local knowledge, supported by the large results focused team at the Pure Cottages Group, these aren’t just empty promises.
Mark Holdcroft Managing Director
A L M O ST 5,000
Here at Lake District Lodge Holidays we work hard to build strong with The Kids Village at their fundraising event - The Ball of Courage. relationships with partners who can be of benefit to our owners and Around 230 guests enjoyed a wonderful time partaking in several help us to reach more and more guests every year. fundraising initiatives on the night itself with the star attraction being the auction. We were lucky enough to be able to offer two properties from We have recently been approached by several companies looking to within the Pure Cottages group which together went for over £3,000. partner with us to deliver bespoke promotions that not only highlights The night itself raised £51,000 for the charity, money that will support our property portfolio but also delivers added value to our partner’s their continuing good work and will go towards the building of a lodge customers too. In offering a property as a competition prize to a partner retreat for the families they support. customer database we have seen enquiries and bookings from that database over the subsequent weeks and months. If you would be interested in taking part in a future promotion and offering a stay at your property, please let us know and we will be We are always happy to support local charities and are often asked to delighted to add you to our partner promotions planner. offer a property as a competition prize or a treat for someone helped by the charity in question. Recently Pure Cottages were honoured to work
a r r iv a l s s o f a r
New National Marketing Hub Now powered by Pure Cottages we have seen our marketing team go from strength to strength with the recruitment of a Sales and Marketing Director – Tracy Archer. Since joining earlier this year she has built a team of thirteen marketing professionals who, collectively, bring experience from our partner companies as well as leading marketing agencies across the country. Based out of Windermere, this marketing hub is expertly placed to take learnings from across the group, drive increasingly more traffic to our booking website and engage with holidaymakers across a mix of digital and print channels.
t his ye a r
Younger Visitors Take More Staycations
10% Exclusive Discount Across the Group As a valued owner you are able to enjoy 10% off any booking you make across the Pure Cottages Group of brands when you book before the end of 2019. Simply select a property from our portfolio across the Lake District, Cornwall and the Cotswolds, and then call the relevant office to book.
Kind Regards,
Mark Holdcroft
Pure Cottages Marketing Hub
Mark Holdcroft, Managing Director - Lake District Lodge Holidays
We know how trends in the holiday market can impact on the number of visitors to the Lake District and the number of bookings we take. So we were delighted to read a recent piece of research by Barclay’s which revealed some interesting facts around the growth of the “Staycation”, which in 2017 stood at 59 million breaks. One such fact was the changing habits of the younger audience - with over half of all 25 - 34 year olds planning to increase the amount of time they spend holidaying in the UK and, along with the 35 - 44 age group, they see the UK as the destination for their main annual holiday. Here in the Lake District, with breath-taking views at every turn, enviable fell walks right from the door and hundreds of activities & experiences across the National Park, we are well placed for satisfying the needs of
these consumers. As the younger audience look for the opportunity to ‘get away from it all’ with a digital detox there really is no better place than the Lakes. With our presence across social media channels we are well placed to engage with the younger audience who are always on the lookout for Instagramable moments. From a jar of freshly picked flowers from the garden and stunning bathrooms, to open fires and local gastronomic delights we know the little touches that can entice the younger audience to book that Lake District experience. We will continue to work closely with you, our owners, to ensure your properties appeal to guests young and old.
INSIDE LAKE DISTRICT LODGE HOLIDAYS
Rise in Dog Friendly Breaks
We’ve all heard of the saying “a dog is a man’s best friend”, well we can confirm that our booking figures would tend to agree. In the last year we have seen 36% of all guests here at Lake District Lodge Holidays only book a property if they can bring their dog with them. As we approach the quieter months, now is a good time for you to consider if dogs could be accommodated in your property. It can certainly help with bookings, our dog friendly lodges page is within our top 3 most visited pages on our website, you could be missing out on bookings from over 1/3 of our guests. If this is something you think you might be interested in then do please get in touch with your Lake District Lodge Holidays contact who will ensure your property listing is updated appropriately.
1 /3 O F O U R G U E STS BRING DOGS
Added Extras Drive Repeat Bookings
There is nothing nicer than driving to your holiday destination to find all those little added extras have been taken care of. And we know that even the smallest of details can attract guests to return time and again, and leave fabulous reviews. Giving guests some little ‘mod cons’ such as a wireless speaker, docking station and a DAB radio makes them feel their stay is better than home from home. And whilst there is no better place than the Lake District for a digital detox, top of the list is always reliable Wi-Fi. Guests are able to order their own Lakeland Hamper, which comes full of a selection of lovely local goodies supplied by Low Sizergh Barn. However a number of owners are now adding this as a complimentary free extra for guests. If you are interested in helping to maximise bookings by adding any of these little extras then please do let us know.
“The lodge is one of the best we’ve stayed in - we had a brilliant 4 days”
INSIDE LAKE DISTRICT LODGE HOLIDAYS
Short Breaks Drive Increased Revenues
As a holiday letting agent we always have our eye on the market, looking out for any trends and changes to the way guests are booking and the types of holidays that are proving more popular. Recent research has shown that just under 2/3 of English holidays are short breaks, and as the staycation market continues to boom, that’s over 29 million short breaks a year.
is that they do not deliver the same returns and can lead to empty periods. Here at Lake District Lodge Holidays we work hard to ensure that this is not the case and with increasing customer appetite for flexible arrival days and short breaks in the off season, properties offering short breaks tend to see an increase in bookings and therefore income levels.
Get in touch with us today if you would like to better Despite this growing trend we still have some owners who are understand how we can help you market your property to not yet offering short breaks - since January of this year we our short break customers. have seen that over 80% of bookings are for 6 days or less. We know the perception amongst some owners of short breaks
Last Minute Holiday Bookings On The Rise The Lake District is as popular as ever with guests young and old and with 59 million staycations taken back in 2017 there is no sign of that popularity diminishing. In 2018 over 6.6 million visitors stayed in the Lake District which equalled 22.35 million nights in local accommodation.
was also the period in which we saw 28% of all holidaymakers booking and arriving in the same month. We understand that this can be unnerving for owners - it can see us biting our nails at times too - however it also means we can start to tailor our guest communications to take advantage of last minute bookings.
We have also noticed through our continual research and experience within the holiday letting business that whilst guests Owners who allow us to promote last minute offers for their do spend more time researching their holidays online they are properties do see an increase in both occupancy levels and leaving it much later to book in 2019 and they are looking for income, so do get in touch if this would be of interest to you. last minute offers. September has been a bumper month but
6 . 6 M I L L I O N L A K E D I ST R I C T V I S I TO R S I N 2 01 8
INSIDE LAKE DISTRICT LODGE HOLIDAYS
INSIDE LAKE DISTRICT LODGE HOLIDAYS
Marketing Delivers Great Results
Feel Good News
Getting Ready For 2020
*IMAGE REQUIRED
MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST PAT Testing Internal Redecoration De-Moulding and Stain Blocking Areas Cleaning of patio and any patio furniture (prior to storage)
Despite being an experienced holiday letting agency we are always looking at ways to challenge ourselves to ensure we are delivering the best possible service to our owners and 2019 has been no different. We’ve invested heavily in our systems and our people to ensure we reach the right potential guests at the right time and through the right channels. Earlier this year we worked on segmenting our guest database so that we can now send out highly targeted emails to specific groups of guests highlighting certain types of properties and relevant offers. And we continue to take those guest insights across our social media activity, targeting audiences with tailored messaging based on their geographic and demographic profiles. As we continue to test different marketing combinations we are consistently seeing that our campaigns across all media are delivering visits to our websites and holiday bookings.
Thank you to all of you who took the time to complete our little online survey. We were delighted to hear that 96% of you would recommend Lake District Lodge Holidays to a friend if they were looking to let out their lodge. And it was great to hear that everything is running smoothly, booking levels are meeting expectations and our owners see us as a trusted letting company. But we don’t like to rest on our laurels, so this first issue of Inside Lake District Lodge Holidays is just one of the ways we are listening to what you say. We hope you’ve enjoyed the read and we look forward to bringing you more news, hints and tips in the future.
Strengthening The Quality Within Our Team We wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to Julian Cottell, our Quality and Compliance Manager for Pure Cottages Group in the Lake District. A former Visit England inspector, Julian has worked with Heart of the Lakes for almost 8 years overseeing quality and H&S standards.
We are looking to bring our inspection regime and reporting framework for H&S compliance across the Pure Cottages group, and to Lake District Lodge Holidays, in 2020 which we believe will benefit you as an owner, helping to differentiate your property from the competition. We also remain committed to ensuring that all the brands we operate through in the Lakes His passion for ensuring that our properties represent a continue to enjoy Quality Accredited agency status through safe, accredited environment for our guests to enjoy, and Visit England, providing further comfort to you as an Owner a commitment to best practice is something we know our that you are in the hands of a reputable expert. owners are equally committed to. And whilst our guests may take quality and safety for granted, we know it can set us apart In the meantime if you have any quality or compliance from the competition who don’t always deliver on what they related queries please do not hesitate to contact Julian on promise. 015394 32321.
We have already been in touch about preparations for the end of the season as we understand that holiday rentals can take their toll on a property. Our owners who have the fully managed LDLH service, can be reassured to know that our maintenance team work hard to ensure guests have a seamless stay, reacting to and resolving any minor issues. To ensure a consistent quality standard across all owner lodges we recommend an annual property check where any snags can be picked up and the relevant maintenance work undertaken during a convenient guest free period. Everything can be done in house by Chris Murray and our maintenance team or trusted local contractors on your behalf. And you can rest assured we will continue to advise on any snags we may come across from time to time. Contact us on 015394 46748 or owners@ldlh.co.uk to find out more.
Clearing of leaves at ground level and from gutters Drain Rodding Inspection and repairs of decking and any fencing where necessary Central heating checks – topping up of boiler pressure and bleeding of radiators, pipe lagging Thermostatic radiator valve installation for greater energy efficiency and reduced heating bills Fixtures and fitting checks renewing silicone, dripping taps, loose toilet seats, clearing waste traps, loose drawers and door handles etc. Lighting Checks Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm checks – date of expiry and batteries Furniture Integrity – wobbly chairs, loose bed frames, wear and tear etc. Appliance Installation Removal / Disposal
CONTACT US If you are interested in finding out more about anything you have read from working with us on a promotion, to accepting dogs in your property then please do get in touch. We can be reached on 015394 46748, by email on owners@ldlh.co.uk or pop into our Windermere office at Yewgarth, New Road, Windermere, LA23 2LA.
Head Office: The Pure Cottages Group, Lakelovers House, 2 Victoria Street, Windermere, LA23 1AB Tel: 015394 88855 | Website: www.purecottages.co.uk